A viral image shared on X, formerly Twitter, purports to show Israeli tanks invading Gaza amid the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

Battle on the streets of Gaza pic.twitter.com/6jM6MbrIhj

— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) December 13, 2023

Verdict: False

A scan using the website Fake Image Detector indicates the image is “computer generated or modified.” A media forensics and artificial intelligence (AI) expert confirmed the image is not authentic in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

Israel Defense Forces Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said three captives who were mistakenly shot and killed by Israeli troops left messages reading “SOS” and “Help, three hostages” in Hebrew, according to Al Jazeera. Hagari said the messages were found in a building in Gaza City, the outlet reported.

The X image, viewed over 300,000 times, purports to show Israeli tanks invading Gaza amid the current Israel-Hamas conflict. “Battle on the streets of Gaza,” the image’s caption reads. An Israeli flag appears to hang on the back of one of the tanks.

The image is not authentic, however. Check Your Fact conducted a scan using the website Fake Image Detector, and the results indicate the image is “computer generated or modified.” Likewise, Check Your Fact also ran an AI content detection scan using the website Hive Moderation, but the results of this scan indicated the image is not likely to be AI-generated. (RELATED: Image Of Israeli Soldiers Celebrating Hanukkah Appears To Be AI-Generated)

While the results of the two scans conflict, it is important to note that AI image detectors do not always produce accurate results. According to Insider, adding grain to an image can fool AI detectors and reduce the likelihood of identifying the content as AI-generated from 99% to 3.3%.

Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the viral X image referenced in any recent credible news reports about the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

In addition, Misbar also ran a scan of the image using Fake Image Detector and determined the image was AI-generated. “Misbar found technical indicators suggesting that the image was generated using AI software. These indicators reveal inconsistencies and errors in the image, such as repetitive smoke patterns from buildings, an Israeli flag depicted on a tank surrounded by water bottles, and distortions in the buildings and structural elements, including shadow reflections,” the outlet reported.

Dr. Walter Scheirer, a media forensics and AI expert at the University of Notre Dame, confirmed the image is not authentic in an email to Check Your Fact.

“This image is characteristic of the exaggerated cartoon style that is a common output of generative AI models. The image is not photorealistic, it more resembles an illustration. Further, there is far too much improvised armor and other random objects one would not expect on IDF operated vehicles,” Scheirer said.